ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Investor Protection Trust (IPT) announces that the Alaska State Division of Banking and Securities is expanding the award-winning pilot program Investor Education in Your Workplace(®) (IEiYW(®)), making it available to up to about 700 employees of state-chartered banks and credit unions and employees of Alaska Native corporations throughout the state as well as leadership staff of organizations subscribing to Employee Benefit News.

The 10-week-long IEiYW(®) program runs from May to August of this year. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Lorie Hovanec at (907) 269-6586.

Interested parties can register for an informational webinar online at http://www.ieiyw.com/webinars. Webinar sessions will be held March 13, March 21 and March 26 at 11 a.m. Alaska Standard Time.

Due to the success of this program, Alaska's Division of Banking and Securities requested and was awarded a grant from the nonprofit Investor Protection Trust (www.investorprotection.org) to make the IEiYW(®) program (valued at $100 per student) available to 700 leadership employees throughout Alaska.

The IEiYW program already has been field-tested nationwide by more than 15,500 employees working at nearly 400 companies.

ABOUT IEiYW

Investor Education in Your Workplace provides investor education and protection to individuals in their workplace. The Investor Protection Trust is collaborating with the Investor Protection Institute and state securities regulators to provide online investor education and protection curriculum to selected groups of employees in participating states. The program was piloted with credit union employees and educators in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The pilot programs have shown strong results including a 27 percent improvement in knowledge for teachers in Wisconsin and a 38 percent and 47 percent improvement in knowledge for credit union employees in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, respectively. The IEiYW program has now been expanded into 14 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and to additional employer groups. Course topics include: saving & investing, personal finance, investing basics, investment strategies, investment risks, retirement planning, retirement plan options, mutual funds, financial advisors and putting it all together.

ABOUT THE ALASKA DIVISION OF BANKING AND SECURITIES http://commerce.alaska.gov/bsc/home.htm - 907-269-8140

The Alaska Division of Banking and Securities regulates a variety of financial service providers such as banks, credit unions, mortgage brokers, money service businesses, payday lenders, and securities brokers and dealers. The department also works to improve financial education throughout Alaska through its outreach programs. In addition to posting information about licensees and administrative actions, the division uses its website to provide investor and financial education to the public http://commerce.alaska.gov/bsc/secur.html.